Name:
Bill Woerlee
E-mail:
Contact only by post directed to me on this site
Location: Canberra, ACT, Australia
Birthday: 13 May, 2008
Bio: Being in Canberra has given me a wonderful opportunity to discover resources that are generally unavailable to the general public regarding the history of the Light Horse in Australia from its inception as mounted rifles to the emergence of highly respected cavalry formations that still serve today.
My interest began when my daughter asked me about her Great Grandfather who served in the Great War. That was as far as we both knew at the time in 2004. In an effort to give an answer, I began this journey which moved from an interest to a consuming passion, something that is often very common amongst folks who research into their family's history.
This blog aims to filled out vacant areas of study. It does not deal with broad strategies, brilliant generals or the like, it deals with the ordinary people who never get their names recorded in the history books but who were very much part of the history as the "men", the shadowy group who actually made it all possible.
Over 41,000 men served in some way and some time with the Light Horse during the Great War. In addition, some 20,000 Australians served in South Africa during the Boer War. During the interwar period, another vast group of men served in the militia formations. While I cannot tell everyone's story, through the use of this blog, I will try to bring as many story's to life as possible.
In doing so, folks should be prepared to hear reality rather than legend. That reality can be very disturbing but it is also affirming - we see our ancestors as they really were rather than some card board cut out characters imbued with mythical powers. In seeing ourselves in our ancestors, we are able to identify with the Australian story, and that is one of the primary objects of Australian history.
Interests: As this blog unfolds, many different topics will be dealt with to bring to the fore the conditions prevailling in Australia from the period 1890 to 1920. Issues of a general social nature, political commentary and other issues which formed the foundation for the evolution of the Light Horse movement in Australia.
This is an open blog with moderated responses to ensure the information specifically relates to the subject. Please feel free to express opinions about the subjects raised and even raise your own. Well thought out commentary that adds to everyone's knowledge is a joy and actively encouraged.
Essentially the research role occurs in three different aspects -
1. To detail and discuss the general historical information available in an effort to provide a dialogue between different group attitudes;
2. To provide commentaries from primary source documents; and,
3. To maintain general community interest mainly through family re-union activities which involves researching and detailing family histories at the request from general members of the public.
The objective is to maintain the highest standards of scholarship with rigorous care taken to present accurate information for the reader. The aim is to tell the story, warts and all, to honour the people of the era as they were rather than some of the myth that has arisen. A story told with integrity will stand on its own.
I hope that my interest is also your interest and you enjoy the material on this blog.
Blog Created: Friday, 20 January 2012
Last Updated: Sunday, 5 August 2012 - 6:29 PM NZT
Blog Entries: 6258